Date Posted: 11/13/2008

BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Top Seed and No. 22 Campbell eliminated any hopes Belmont had of building of its previous night’s comeback, scoring on four of its first five shots en route to a 7-1 rout in Thursday’s second semifinal of the Atlantic Sun Conference Men’s Soccer Championship from Campbell’s Eakes Athletic Complex.

The scoring started early for Campbell (14-5-0) when 2007 Tournament MVP and 2008 First-Team forward Vince Petrasso continued his A-Sun Championship success scoring off an assist from fellow First-Teamer, Josue Soto, from 22 yards out in the third minute.

Less than two minutes later, Player of the Year Richard Jata found the back of the net for his ninth goal of the season. Soto and Justin Madrid assisted on the play. Pat Danford increased the lead to 3-0 in the 11th minute after he dribbled into the box and hit pay dirt past the outstretched arms on Belmont goalkeeper Janrai Gravely for his first goal of the season. Soto, after his two helpers, scored himself when he connected on a penalty kick in the 15th minute.

“They finished their chances,” Doug Hess, Campbell’s head coach and 2008 Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year said. “I mean we finished four balls on our first five shots. There really is no secret to that”

The first-half scoring concluded with First-Team defender Stephen Oyuga boosting the lead to five when he converted a header for his second tally of the season. Jata picked up an assist on the play. He would net his second goal of the night, and 10th of the year with a brilliantly placed direct kick from 30 yards out into the upper-left portion of the net. Campbell’s record when Jata scores improved to 20-0-1 for his career.

“I wanted to go near post over the wall,” Jata said. “I hit it well and luckily it went right where I wanted it to go.”

In the second half, Khalil Johnson picked up the Camels’ final goal on a counter attack in the 77th minute. Belmont (11-8-2) broke through for its lone tally two minutes later when Taylor Preston scored on a left-footed shot from the top of the box, ending a long shutout streak for Camel goalkeeper Aaron Johnson. He had not been scored upon since an Oct. 16 game with Lipscomb spanning 649 minutes.

In addition to Jata’s streak, the Campbell win extended several other school streaks. It established a school record win streak (12) breaking the mark first set in 1970 and equaled in 1973 and 1974. The Camels improved to 14-0-2 in their last 16 against A-Sun opponents and pushed the Camels’ record at the Eakes Athletic Complex to 9-0 this year. The seven goals broke the previous school mark for goals scored in an A-Sun tournament match set just last year (6-1 against Gardner-Webb in the first round) The seven goals represented the most scored by a team in an A-Sun Championship game since Houston Baptist defeated Samford, 12-0 in a 1985 West Division semifinal game. Jata tied the A-Sun single-season record with his seventh game-winning goal of the season. Clay Smith of the College of Charleston collected seven winners during the 1992 campaign.

Campbell moves on to the title game for rematch of the 2007 final facing Jacksonville on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. This match, and all Men’s Soccer Championship matches, can be seen on ASun.TV. Matt Lightner and Ryan Dunn will call all the action. The matchup marks the first time since 1995 and 1996 when College of Charleston and Campbell met that the same two teams faced off in back-to-back title games. College of Charleston won both games. Campbell and Jacksonville battled to a 1-1 draw but Campbell took the shootout 5-4 to claim their first A-Sun Championship.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

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